Monday, August 6, 2012

THE HINDU: The Akshaya Patra Foundation that serves midday meal to over 1.4
million schoolchildren in nine States has said that it may not continue
the mission beyond 2030.
Strange, but true, the non-governmental organisation established by
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Bangalore,
wants every child in the country to get everything — from food to
education, without any external intervention by 2030. The foundation’s
wish was revealed by its trustee T.V. Mohandas Pai at a function to
celebrate Akshaya Patra serving the one billionth meal here on Sunday.
Mr. Pai said the that foundation began the mission with just 1,500
students in 2000 and is now serving 1.4 million children in nine States
with support from the Union and the State governments and donors. By
2020, the foundation aims to serve five million children, from which
point, it hopes every needy child in the country will be taken care of.
Infosys Technologies Chairman Emeritus N.R. Narayana Murthy said that
children will absorb their lessons better if they had had a good
breakfast. He asked Mr. Pai, “Why don’t you arrange for biscuits and
banana for schoolchildren in the morning.” While many NGOs do not want
to wind up any programme, Mr. Murthy appreciated the foundation’s
decision to wind up the programme by 2030.
The occasion saw singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan being declared the
brand ambassador of Akshaya Patra by ISKCON Bangalore president Madhu
Pandita Dasa. A digital versatile disk featuring a promo-song by
lyricist Javed Akhtar and composed and performed by Mahadevan was
released by Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty.
Two Akshaya Patra beneficiaries, C.J. Karthik of government college,
Saneguruvanahalli, Bangalore, who got admission into MBBS at Bangalore
Medical College and Research Institute after securing the 90 rank in
CET, and C. Savita, who stood 9 in SSLC as a student of corporation high
school in Sriramapuram, Bangalore, were felicitated.
The former Chief Justice of India S. Rajendra Babu and ISKCON vice-president Chanchalapati Dasa were present.